Cerdo Asado Estilo Cubano Recipes

Steps:

• 1. Buy a nice large pork shoulder or fresh ham try to buy with the skin on the fresh ham. I am doubtful you will find a pork shoulder with the skin on it but you can try.
• 2. THE NIGHT BEFORE: Take your pork shoulder or fresh ham and stab it all over making deep stabbings in the meat all over the roast. Next, take your salt and pour about two tablespoons full in your hands and rub deep all over the pork roast or fresh ham sticking your fingers in the deep stabbed holes to penetrate the salt well into the meat. Do this all around the fresh ham. You will need about 2 tablespoons of salt altogether. If it is a very large fresh ham you might need as much as three tablespoons of salt. Rubbing deep into the meat all over and into the holes made with a sharp knife. Please be careful with the knife when stabbing the pork so as to not cut yourself. Make sure your hands are dry as well as the handle of the knife when stapping the pork. You do not want your hand to slide down onto the sharp blade as I have seen happen when stabbing the pork.
• 3. After salting put the pork to a side. In a blender add the lime/lemon or sour oange juice, garlic cloves, and the seasonings bay leaf, cumin powder, oregano, pepper, 1 teaspoon salt. Blend on high until all is liquified.
• 4. This is your Cuban Mojo, pour one cup of the mojo in a jar cover and reserve for later.
• 5. Now take your pork roast and pour the rest of the sauce all over the pork roast rubbing the mojo sauce deep into the pork meat in the slits or holes. The secret is to make sure you rub your pork meat roast or fresh ham with all this lime/garlic sauce making sure it is well introduced into the meat.
• 6. When done sprinkle a little more oregano, cumin, black pepper over the entire roast again just a little sprinkle. Cover with aluminum foil and refrigerate until the next day for roasting.
• 7. Next day remove pork from the refrigerator let stand on the counter for at least an hour then put into a preheated 325 degree oven.
• 8. Depending on how large a roast you have roast about 3 to 4 hours or a little more.
• 9. Pour a half cup of the reserved mojo and baste your roast every hour with some of the mojo.
• 10. Roast is done when the juices run clear and the meat is tender. Do not cover with aluminum foil to roast. You can tent the roast with aluminum foil but do not crimp the edges all around. You want to roast your pork meat not steam it. I do not even tent mine.
• 11. If the roast starts to get too brown on top tent it with the foil. Take a large piece of foil and fold in half then put over the roast leaving the sides open, no crimping. A five pound roast can take as long as five or six hours slow roasting. When done remove roast from the oven take out of the pan put into another pan. Let roast hang out for a bit.
• 12. In your pan there should be lots of pan drippings. Pour them into a frying pan over medium heat and add the onions and fry them in the drippings.
• 13. Next, take a half cup of the reserved mojo from the refrigerator and pour into the onions sauteing everything for about five minutes. After about 10 minutes slice all of your roast and pour the mojo with onions all over the meat mixing it well into all of the pork meat. Serve with Cuban black beans and white rice. There is another traditional dish served with the pork, rice, and black beans. It is called Yuca (Casava). It is boiled when tender it is served with the pork, black beans, and rice. It looks like boiled potato only it is long and very starchy. It is served with a mojo sauce that is also pored over it but only lemon or lime juice and fresh garlic are used. But that is another recipe. It is a tradition to also include that dish with the Cuban roast pork dinner. Don't forget the Crispy Cuban bread and the Sangria or wine, For dessert pass a delicious flan. Buen Apetito. Enjoy.

Steps:

• Combine pork cubes, 1/2 cup water, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a Dutch oven. Cover and cook over medium heat for 20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes. Uncover, increase heat to medium-high and cook, stirring constantly, until water evaporates. Continue cooking until the pork browns in its rendered fat, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, cut tops off the dried chiles and remove seeds. Heat chiles in a large skillet over low heat until they start to soften. Do not toast. Place chiles in a bowl of hot water and soak for 20 minutes.
• Remove pork and set aside. Do not wash, wipe out, or clean the Dutch oven.
• Transfer chiles to a blender, reserving soaking water. Add cilantro, chicken bouillon, peppercorns, garlic, cinnamon stick, Mexican oregano, thyme, cumin seeds, bay leaves, and cloves. Pour in 1 cup soaking water and blend until smooth. Add 1 more cup soaking water, season with salt, and blend until completely smooth.
• Melt lard in the Dutch oven. Carefully add blended chile mixture and scrape up all browned bits. Bring to a boil and add pork. Reduce heat and cover partially, leaving about 1 inch open. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until sauce has thickened and reaches the desired consistency, 15 to 20 minutes.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°F.
• Squeeze enough juice from limes to measure 1 cup. Mince garlic. In a bowl stir together 3 tablespoons lime juice, garlic, 2 1/2 tablespoons salt, oregano, and cumin. Pat pork dry and with a sharp small knife make 1-inch-long by 3/4-inch-deep incisions 2 inches apart in pork skin. Push about 1 teaspoon garlic mixture into each incision and rub remainder on meaty ends not covered by skin.
• Transfer pork to a large roasting pan (about 18 by 12 by 2 inches) and pour remaining lime juice around pork. Roast pork, uncovered, in middle of oven until most of juice is evaporated and brown bits begin to form on bottom of pan, about 30 minutes.
• In a bowl stir together water and vinegar and pour mixture around pork. Cover pan tightly with foil and roast 1 hour. With a small ladle baste meat only (not skin) with pan juices and roast pork, covered, 1 hour.
• With cleaned sharp small knife gently loosen skin from meat (without cutting through skin) and with a spoon baste meat under skin with pan juices. Sprinkle remaining 1/2 tablespoon salt over skin and roast pork, uncovered, basting meat (not skin) every 20 minutes, 1 1/2 hours more, or until skin is crisp. Transfer pork to a cutting board, reserving pan juices, and let stand 20 minutes. Skim fat from reserved pan juices.
• Cut pork into 1/4-inch-thick slices and serve with pan juices.

Steps:

• Perfora la carne por todos lados con la punta de un cuchillo. Colócala en un recipiente no reactivo, como los de vidrio o acero inoxidable.
• Mezcla el aderezo, los jugos de fruta, el jerez y el comino en un tazón grande. Reserva 1/2 taza de la mezcla de aderezo y vierte el resto sobre la carne. Agrega la cebolla y el ajo; tapa el tazón. Pon a marinar en la nevera durante varias horas o toda la noche.
• Calienta el horno a 350°F. Saca la carne y desecha la marinada. Seca la carne dándole palmaditas y colócala en una asadera forrada con papel aluminio. Insértale un termómetro para carne en la parte más gruesa de la carne, asegurándote que no toque el hueso. Cocina a durante 1 hora o hasta que esté completamente dorada, volteando la carne de vez en cuando.
• Baja la temperatura del horno a 325°F. Vierte la mezcla de aderezo que guardaste sobre la carne; cúbrela con papel aluminio (sin apretar). Cocina 3 horas más o hasta que el termómetro marque 180ºF, empapando la carne frecuentemente con el jugo del asado. Quita el papel aluminio durante los últimos 30 min. de horneado. Deja reposar durante 15 min. antes de rebanar para servir.

Steps:

• Heat oil in a heavy pot.
• Add pork, salt and pepper, stirring until well browned and most of the liquid is evaporated.
• Add garlic and saute 1 minute more.
• Add flour, stirring until thoroughly coated.
• Add water all at once.
• Add cumin and chili powder.
• Stir thoroughly until gravy is dark and velvety smooth.
• Add more chili powder to taste.
• Bring to boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer 20 minutes, or until pork is tender.
• Serve with rice and tortillas.